Peaceful protest planned Aug. 4 at the ArtsPark against the president of Nicaragua

The city of Hollywood has approved a permit request from a group of Nicaraguans to protest their country’s policies and leadership.

Nicas Unidos en Miami, a non-profit organization, will be hosting the peaceful protest along with Jaime Godoy, a Hollywood resident.

“The reason we are doing this protest is to demonstrate against all the innocent lives being killed, kidnap and tortured since April 18 at the hands of President Daniel Ortega and his Family,” Godoy wrote in an email to the Hollywood Gazette.

On July 30, the White House released a press statement saying “The United States strongly condemns the ongoing violence in Nicaragua and human rights abuses committed by the Ortega regime in response to protests.”

In addition, the Trump Administration has “designated three Nicaraguan officials – Francisco Diaz, Fidel Moreno, and Francisco Lopez – under the Global Magnitsky Act for human rights abuses and corruption. Through these sanctions, the United States is demonstrating that it will hold Ortega regime officials who authorize violence and abuses or who steal from the Nicaraguan people responsible for their actions. These are a start, not an end, of potential sanctions.”

Godoy added that “The Nicaraguan people here and in other countries are helping to stop this situation to avoid instability in Central America.”

He added that they also hope to stop illegal drugs from coming to the United States, as well as the massive exodus from Nicaragua which is causing issues at the border.

The peaceful protest will be on Saturday, Aug. 4 at Young Circle Park from 3 to 7 p.m.